Tangerine, Harmonic Analysis

Dr. Bob Lawrence
Oct 11
4 min read

Form, Changes, Function, Voicings.

Joe Henderson, Blue Bossa — Helen O'Connell, Tangerine

Tangerine

Discovering the Essentials of Jazz Piano, One Standard at a Time!

There’s something magical about the start of a new month at Jazz Piano Skills. It means we begin our deep dive into a new tune — and this time, it’s the classic 1941 standard “Tangerine” by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer.

But before diving into the chords, melody, and improvisation, I always like to remind my students of something important: while the tune changes each month, our approach stays the same. That’s because true musical growth doesn’t come from jumping from one song to the next — it comes from mastering the essential skills that every tune demands.

The “Skill-Centric” Approach

Every tune we study at Jazz Piano Skills is more than just a melody or set of chords. It’s an opportunity — a mirror that reflects what skills are strong and which ones need attention.

We organize these essential jazz skills into three “camps”:

Harmony – understanding form, harmonic function, and common progressions while developing the ability to play the sounds of music: major, dominant, minor, half-diminished, and diminished.
Melody – hearing and articulating phrases using a variety of treatments and touch.
Improvisation – formulating rhythmic and melodic ideas in real time based on chord–scale relationships.

Every month, we use these camps to examine a new tune — harmonically, melodically, and improvisationally — so that we not only learn the tune but also learn from the tune.

The Seven Facts of Music

A proper understanding of music begins with being able to articulate what music actually is the study of. I call this the Seven Facts of Music, and I stress them constantly because they frame every skill we develop:

Music is the production of sound and silence.
Sound — major, dominant, minor, half-diminished, diminished — is produced harmonically and melodically.
Harmonic shapes are chords and voicings.
Melodic shapes are arpeggios and scales.
Arpeggios and scales move in only two directions: up or down.
We decorate these shapes with tension — notes outside the key, chromaticism.
We make everything interesting with rhythm.

When you frame your practicing inside these seven facts, your understanding — and your results — skyrocket. Without them, it’s easy to get lost in mindless repetition that feels productive but isn’t moving you forward.

The Question of the Week: Smooth Chord Connections

This week’s listener question came from Deena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, who wrote:

“I’m learning my chords and beginning to play lead sheets, but my chords don’t sound smooth. I’m using inversions, but they still sound disconnected. How do I voice chords so they sound smooth and connected?”

A great question — and one every jazz pianist wrestles with early on. The answer lies in understanding harmonic motion and developing muscle memory for how chords move.

For instance, in the classic II–V–I progression, only two notes move when transitioning from one chord to the next. Once you internalize this, smooth voice leading becomes natural. There are four basic ways to voice the II–V–I using block chords (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th), and practicing all four options — in all 12 keys — will transform your playing.

As Deena (and all of us) discover, the goal isn’t just to know chords. It’s to connect them instinctively and musically.

This Month’s Tune: “Tangerine”

Now it’s time to put those harmonic skills to work on Tangerine, a timeless standard from the Great American Songbook.

As always, we begin our three-week tune study with Week One: Harmonic Analysis. Here’s what we uncover:

Form: Unlike many standards that follow AABA or ABAB, Tangerine uses an ABAC form — less common, but beautifully balanced.
Unique Chords: The tune contains 14 distinct chord changes, right in line with most jazz standards.
Key: The standard key is F Major.
Harmonic Function: the DNA of a tune that illuminates root movement.
Common Progressions: We’ll focus on the recurring II–V–I movements, as well as some intriguing motion like 3–6–2–5 and ♯4–7–3–6 patterns, which are gold for ear training.
Voicings: Blocks, Traditional and Contemporary Shells, plus Two-Handed Structures.

As we progress through the month, we’ll move from harmony (this week) to melody (next week), and finally to improvisation. Each phase builds on the other, ensuring you don’t just “memorize” Tangerine, but truly understand and own it musically.

The Jazz Piano Skills Advantage

Every Jazz Piano Skills member receives access to a full set of podcast packets — lead sheets, play-alongs, and illustrations that reinforce each week’s lessons. Members also enjoy:

🎧 Full-length podcast episodes (with lesson demonstrations)
📚 Online courses for harmonic, melodic, and improvisation development
🧑‍🏫 Weekly live masterclasses (with video replays)
💬 A private online community of jazz pianists
💡 Unlimited personal support and feedback

It’s a complete ecosystem designed to help you discover, learn, and play jazz piano — systematically, musically, and joyfully.

Listen. Analyze. Play.

As with every new tune, I start by listening — to every version I can find. Vocalists, instrumentalists, pros, amateurs. Listening gives us perspective. Then comes the analysis — form, harmony, melody, improvisation — always through the lens of the Seven Facts of Music.

This process transforms tunes like Tangerine from “songs to play” into frameworks for mastery.

So whether you’re a beginner learning your first jazz standard or a seasoned pro refining your sound, remember: Different tune, same skills — new perspective (every month!).

Final Thoughts

As you study Tangerine this month, remember: the goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress. Each chord, phrase, and improvisation is a small step toward mastering the language of jazz piano.

If you’re not already a member, I invite you to:

🎧 Subscribe to the Jazz Piano Skills Podcast, download your educational Podcast Packets. Join our weekly live masterclasses and community. Get involved!